lingam

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History & Society

lingam

Hindu symbol

Also known as: linga

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

lingam

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Category: History & Society

Sanskrit:: “sign” or “distinguishing symbol”

Also spelled:: linga

Related Topics:: religious symbolism and iconography; yoni; symbolism; lingodbhavamurti

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lingam, in Hinduism, a votary object that symbolizes the god Shiva and is revered as an emblem of generative power. The lingam appears in Shaivite temples and in private shrines throughout India. In Shaivite temples the lingam is often at the centre, surrounded by murtis (sacred images of deities). In contrast to the latter, the lingam is distinctively aniconic. It is a smooth cylindrical mass. Often it rests in the centre of a lipped, disk-shaped object, the yoni, which is an emblem of the goddess Shakti. Ancient Sanskrit texts such as the Mahabharata and the Puranas relate narratives that identify ...(100 of 384 words)

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